Community & Business
20 December, 2025
Excellence in art teaching rewarded
A LOCAL art teacher was one of 30 educators across Australia and New Zealand to receive a commendation at an awards ceremony recently.
St Stephen’s Catholic College teacher Jaelene Durrand has walked away from the National Excellence in Teaching Awards with a well-earned commendation.
Only 40 teachers were recognised at this year’s awards, with 10 winning apple awards and 30 receiving commendations.
Ms Durrand now sits among an elite group of educators who have been recognised for their impact and innovation.
“I was pretty shocked more than anything. I never do this work expecting any kind of recognition, so it really caught me off guard,” she said.
“Mostly I just felt super grateful for my students and the people I get to work alongside every day.
“To me, it really just highlights the awesome work happening in regional schools and within the arts. There are so many teachers doing incredible things, so to be included alongside them was really special.”
The awards ceremony aims to acknowledge outstanding contributions in both government and non-government schools.
Each year, thousands of parents, students, and community members nominate teachers who demonstrate exceptional dedication, leadership, and care.
From these nominations, an independent panel reviews submissions, evaluates each educator’s influence on student learning and wellbeing, and selects a small number for commendations and national honours.
The St Stephen’s community has expressed pride in seeing one of its teachers acknowledged at such a significant level.
